West Michigan residents warned about new scam

Local police are warning residents of a scam that has hit several individuals in West Michigan. Scammers are calling people, claiming to be family members in need of finances, and are requesting people wire funds for legal or attorney fees out of the state -- and sometimes out of the country, according to the Metropolitan Fraud and Identity Theft Team.

Police say the callers have a sense of urgency, have told the person being scammed to keep the call a secret from family members, and claim to be in a serious incident, such as an arrest or accident.

The scammers sometimes have personal information regarding victims, so police are advising residents to confirm the caller's identity, asking personal questions only family members would know and verifying their location using the area code or ZIP code.